PIERRE, S.D. -- South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant announced today that Friday, May 25, marks the deadline for filing Pre-Primary Reports associated with campaign finance in 2012.

"All legislative candidates who will be on the Primary Election ballot this June 5th, political action committees and state political parties need to file their Pre-Primary Reports by 5 p.m. this Friday," Gant said.

"The information that primary candidates are to file with my office will be all campaign income and expenditures that they've had since their last report through the cutoff date of May 21, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. If a candidate is otherwise a new candidate, they will file all expenses and income since filing their statement of candidacy through the cutoff date."

In Gant's first year in office as Secretary of State, he unveiled South Dakota's first entirely electronic campaign finance reporting system entitled Campaign Accounting Statement History (C.A.S.H.). This system allows a campaign committee's finances to be recorded and tracked through the use of an online accounting ledger, making reporting as simple as clicking a button.

The C.A.S.H. System represents only one office system that has been converted to a digital format since Gant took office in January 2011. Lobbyists, corporate registration renewals and changes, many paper documents, and other systems within the office are available for on-line use. Gant noted, "We continue to expand our on-line offerings all the time as part of our 'open file drawer' initiative."

While many reports will be available to the public for viewing as the filings are submitted and accepted, those filed via paper may take several days to enter.

The 2012 Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Disclosure Statement must be filed by 5 p.m. on Friday whether via C.A.S.H., e-mail, fax or regular mail. For committees filing electronically, a paper report will need to be signed and mailed in within one week from the filing date. Gant said, "I welcome anyone with questions to contact the office by phone at (605) 773-3537 or by e-mail at cash@state.sd.us.”